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For Immediate Release |
Contact: |
September 15, 2011 |
Eastern District of California Deputy Jason Ferrell (559) 487-5559 |
Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor | ||
Sacramento, CA – On September
14, 2011, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. awarded the Governor’s Public
Safety Officer Medal of Valor to 13 public safety officers. One of the
recipients was Fresno County Sheriff Deputy Robert McEwen who is assigned to the
U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) in
Fresno, CA. Deputy McEwen was awarded the state’s highest public safety medal
because of his actions during a gun fight that took place in the small town of
Minkler, CA. In attendance at the ceremony was United States Marshal Albert
Najera for the Eastern District of California. During the rescue effort Detective Wahlenmaier’s equipment belt was caught on a broken piece of door frame and caused a dangerous delay. Detective McEwen assisted in providing cover fire for the personnel working to free Detective Wahlenmaier. Fresno County Sheriff’s Detective Joel Wahlenmaier and Reedly Police Officer Javier Bejar both lost their lives during this incident. The suspect, Ricky Liles, eventually took his own life during the gunfight. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
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America’s Oldest Federal Law Enforcement Agency |